(08 Feb 2015, 6:16 pm)aureolin wrote I doubt it'll see anything in the near future, given that it's just received a downgrade.
I don't think Go North East really saw it as a downgrade; after all, the vehicles allocated now are actually newer than the Mercedes Citaros previously allocated (even the older examples: 8306 - 8309).
Whilst I do agree that Mercedes Citaros are far superior in terms of ride quality, moving the Versas away from their role on service 61 and onto the new 2/2A will help cover the cost of them quicker, while the older Mercedes Citaros (whose costs should be more or less covered by now - after six and a half years on the 2A/2C) can move into a more backseat role.
I personally think that the old 2A/2C routes are helping prop up the 42 route. On evenings and Sundays, service 42 is hardly the best performer, and you regularly see empty buses. On the other hand, the old 2A/2C services yield much higher loadings in comparison.